Mounting clamp for brackets



W' 1950 1 J. SMITH 2,595,588

MOUNTING CLAMP FOR BRACKETS Filed March 17, 1948' IN VENTOR. Lou/1.5L J 61141715,

ATTOJE'IVW Patented Apr. 25, 1950 warren srres er r oFFicE MOUNTING cram Foe BRACKETS Lowell J. Smith, Connersville, Ind, assigncr to Stant Manufacturing Company, Connersvilie, Ind., a corporation of Indiana 7 Application March 17, 1948, Serial No. 15,347

struction may be mounted upon a member without disfigurement 01" the supporting member and without using fastening means which must be manipulated from the reverse side of the member upon which the bracket, or the like, is to be mounted. A further object of the invention is to provide means for mounting such a device, wherein the supporting member need only be provided with two small spaced openings, whereafter the device to be mounted and the clamping means may be associated with the member and securely fixed in place thereon by manipulation of the clamping means from one side only of the member upon which the device is to be mounted. Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

' To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended cla ms is not violated. I

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a bracket, having my clamping means associated therewith, showing the bracket and clamping means in operative association with a fragment of a member upon which the bracket is to be mounted; I

. Fig; 2 is a plan view of the bracket; and

' Fig; 3 is a fragmental perspective view of a part of an automobile body, showing the manner in which a bracket of the character illustrated in 1 may be mounted thereon.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that I have illustrated a bracket comprising a hollow body l adapted to provide a mounting support for a rear view mirror 8 I or the like, and adapted to be mounted upon a panel I2 of an automobile body, for instance. It will be obvious to those familiar with automobile construction that it is a difficult and expensive operation to obtain access to theinner surface of a panel of an automobile body; and that there fore it is desirable to provide means, manipulable 3Clain1s. (01.24%205),

a f 2 entirely from the outer be associated with the vehicle after completion of the vehicle by the manufacturer.

As illustrated, thebracket body it) is formed to provide a cavity i3 into which projects a stud or.

partition Hi, The mouth of the cavity I3 is defined by a perimetral foot or lip l5 whose terminal edge will preferably lie in a single plane. Preferably, but not necessarily, the outline of the bracket body l0, when viewed in plan, .will be substantially-as illustrated in Fig. 2-.

Within the cavity IS, the body It is formed; adjacent one end thereof, to provide a stud or.

table 56 formed with a threaded socket IT for the reception of a fastening screw it adapted,

to pass through an aperture I9 in the base portion 2c of a finger 2! which is formed to provide an extension 22 angularly related to the base 20. When the finger 2! is associated with the stud IE, it will be so arranged that the projection 22 inclines toward the adjacent end of the body.

I0, and extends beyond the plane in which lies the terminus of the body foot portion l5.

At its opposite end,.the body 10 is formed with a smooth bore 23: and that surface of the partit on or stud Hi Which faces the bore 23 is provided with a socket 2 3 in alignment with said bore. Journalled in the bore 23 and the socket 24 is a screw 25, traversing that portion of the cavity 1 3 which is divided from the main portion of said cavity by the stud or partition M.

A second finger 26 is formed to provide a base portion 2'! penetrated by a threaded opening. The screw 25 threadedly traverses said threaded opening to support the finger 2% with its base portion 2'! within the cavity. The finger 25 further comprises a proiection 23 angularly related to the base portion 2?; and, when the parts are properly assembled, the pro ection 23 will incline toward. the ad acent end of the bracket body' l2 and will extend through the plane in which lies the terminal portion of the foot means l5.

The screw 25 is preferably mounted upon an axis parallel with a line joining the termini of the finger projections 22 and 28; and the engagement of said screw in the socket 24 prohibits bodily movement of the screw 25 toward the finger 2!.

The panel I2 is provided with two openings 29 and 3!! so spaced relative to each other that, with the finger 26 in the dotted line position of Fig. 1, the finger projection 22 may be engaged in the panel opening 29, whereafter the finger projec tion 28 may be entered in the panel opening 30.

surface of such a panel, for mounting thereon any accessory intended to Now, if the screw 25, whose kerfed end is accessible through the open end of the bore 23, is rotated in one direction, the finger 28 will be caused to retreat from the finger 22 to assume the position illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 1, whereby the finger projection 22 and the finger projection 28 may be caused to .press oppositely against the remote edges of the openings 25 and 30, respectively. Because of the camming effect produced by the divergent incl nations of said projections 22 and 2B, the bracket body ill will thereby be firmly clamped to the panel iZ.

By means of the disclosed clamping mechanism, I avoid the necessity for gaining access "to the inner surface of the body panel f2; and'I also avoid the appearance of fastening means upon clamping means is manipulable entirely through the open end of the bore'23: and, if desired, the" screw 25 may be so proportioned and designed that its outer endwill lie substantially flush with the mouth of the bore '23 'wlien'the parts are in theillus'trated positions;

I claim as my invention:

means, and adaptedto' besecure'd to a member provided with two spaced "openings, clamp means comprising'a finger including a base and an angularly-related' projection, means cooperatin with said'finger baseand said'bod'y to attach said finger'to saidb'ody withsa'id base located w thin said hollow body and said projection inclined toward an "adjacent edge of s'aid'bodyand extendmg beyond said: foot "means; a second finger including a base and" an singularly-related projec tlon, means independent "or said first-named attaching means cooperating with the base of said second finger and the body toattach sa d sec nd finger to said'body with itsba'se located within said hollow body and said projection'inclined toward another edge of saidbody and extending beyond said foot means, said finger projections being respectively enterable in said apertures'the attac ing means for one of sa d fingers being operable to shift said one'finger forcibly to increase the distance between said finger projections.

2. In a device of the class described, a body having a cavity defined bv perimetrally arranged foot means, a'table' located entirely within said cavity and providing a surface generally rac ng said foot meanaa finger having a base" portion and a projection portion angularly related to each other. means cooperating with'the base portion of said finger to secure the same to said table with said finger-base portion supportinqly engaging said surface and said finger projection portion extending outside said cavity and inclined toward one edge of theboundary defined by said foot means, abutmentlmean's located wholly inside said cavity at a point spaced from. said table and located nearer an edge of such boundary opposite said first-named edge, a screw loosely penetrating a wall of said body substantially at said last-named boundary edge and having its inner end supported on said abutment, a second finger having a base section and an angularly related projection portion,'said base portion having a threaded aperture therein threadedly mounted on said screw in the region between said body wall and said abutment, said projection portion of said second finger extending outside said cavity and being inclined toward said lastnamed boundary edge when said second finger i is so: mounted, 'and' said screw being rotatable to 'for'ce'sai'd secondfinger toward said last-named boundaryiedge;

3. Ina device of the class described, a body havinga cavity defined by perimetrally-arranged foot means, a table located entirely within said cavity'and providing a surface penetrated by a threaded opening and generally'facing saidfoot means, a finger'having a basep'ortion and aproiection portion angularly' related to each other,

1. For a hollow "body"havingperim-et m t said finger base portion having. an aperture therethrough, a screw'pentrating "said aperture and threadedly engaged in said opening to secur'e said finger to said table with saidfin'ger base portion supportingly engaging said surface and said finger projection portion extending outside said cavity and'inclined toward one edgeo'f the boundary defined by said foot'means; abutment means-located' whollyinside said cavity ata point spaced from said table and located nearer "anedge or isuch boundary-opposite said first' namededge; a screw looselypenetrating a wallof said body substantially at said last-named "boundary edge and having its inner endsupported on said abutment, 'a se'cond finger having a base section andan 'angularl'y related projection portion, said base portion having 7 a threaded aperture therein threadedlymounted on said screw-in the region between said body "wall and said abutment, said projection portion of said second finger extending outside said cavity and being'inclined toward said last-named boundaryedge when said second finger issomounted, and'saidi screw being" rotatableto force said second finger toward said last-named boundary edge.

LOWELILJQSMITH;

VREFERENCES CITED The foilowing references are'of-reeord in the file of this -pa:tent;,

UNITED PATENTS Number Name Date 1,335,881 Dottl l Apr. 6, 1920 2,293,303 Morley Aug. 18, 1942 2,447,786 Anderson Aug. 24, I948 

